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To produce Rich Starting Points (RSPs) at
A-level |
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School:
Paston College, Norfolk |
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Fellow: Jonny Griffiths |
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Email: jonny.griffiths@paston.ac.uk,
jonny.griffiths@ntlworld.com |
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The aims of the project: |
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Over the last few years, I have found the
phrase ’rich starting point’ or
‘risp’ increasingly useful to
describe the way in which my A Level lessons
begin. I try to initiate topics when at all
possible by using a risp, a mathematical activity
that prompts the need for the theory that
one is planning to cover. The idea is to plough
the field before sowing the seed. If students
can engage, even in a small way, with some
of the questions that the new theory tackles,
then they become more receptive for the explanation
that is to follow. Risps can also be used
for consolidation or revision. My primary
aim was to write, develop and trial new risps
within my own classroom, and to examine the
student response. My secondary aim was to
post one risp a week across my Gatsby year
onto a website, which would leave me at the
end of the year with forty risps and hopefully
a methodology for their use. I hoped also
to gather feedback from teachers who had tried
one of my risps. |
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The Implementation of the plan |
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I have not needed to make many changes to
my original plan. I feel that my initial aims
were realistic and have been largely realised.
I have found it hard but rewarding work to
come up with new risps, and I would say my
students have enjoyed working on these tasks.
My website has been up and running since the
start of September, and I have had about 1000
visits thus far, which is a start. My main
disappointment is not receiving more feedback.
There have been few technical hitches, thankfully,
but the website has taken maybe 6 - 8 hours
a week to maintain. |
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Reflections on the project so far |
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The first thing to say is that I have enjoyed
it! Trying out a new activity with a group
of students is a responsibility and a privilege,
and the refinements they suggest usually mean
the final activity is far more suitable for
the classroom than the original. Building
a website is also a creative activity, a labour
of love. I made the possible mistake of launching
my site in September, which meant that people
visited to find very little material there.
I am now planning a relaunch in January /February
by which time there will be a sizeable body
of material to view. I also decided recently
that my site was too earnest, and that if
I tried to leaven it a little with humour,
I might get a few more visitors. We shall
see what happens! |
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Conclusion of the project and evaluation |
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I plan to continue to post one risp a week
until July. I have some risps waiting to be
posted, and I have lots of ideas for more.
I will need to canvas my students’ views
in a more systematic way: simply relying on
informal feedback and my intuition is not
enough, and I will need to ask my students
to put their thoughts on paper at some point.
I will also be looking at their results carefully
in the Summer. I have an advertisement for
my site appearing in the December edition
of Mathematics Teaching. I am planning
an article (to be submitted to Mathematics
in School?) to introduce my risps to
a wider audience, and to promote Gatsby Teacher
Fellowships. I am leading a workshop on my
risps at The Association of Teachers of Mathematics
Conference at Easter 2006. |
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